I am uncomfortable with this idea and am having a difficult time trying to discern if I am being brainwashed by my local politicians, seeking outside opinions.

The town is asking school students to bring in $ for each veteran in their family to pay for a small recognition item on veteran's day assembly. (bear in mind these are grade school students, so their $ is really Mom and Dad's $ and if Mom or Dad is the vet then s/he is essentially paying for his/her own recognition. Not to mention the veteran's family is regardless.) The $ does not go towards the recognition item, as that is handmade by the kids at little to no cost and in the past has always been offered for free to all vets. The $ instead is going to pay for a huge new mechanically lowered flag for the assembly room. The flag has been touted as showing our patriotism and will be first used on Veteran's Day. The flag will be ostentatiously lowered into the room in lieu of the fellows who usually volunteer from the local VFW posting the colors.

Further, this flag fundraiser is destined to raise about $6000 from this and other fundraising sources. Previous years the town raised money for sending WWII vets to their memorial with Honor Flight. Donations were just solicited for the cause, not as 'purchasing' vet recognition items. And in 2 years time the same town raised less than $2000 for Honor Flight, but so far they are close to their $6000 flag goal already.

Opinions?